A Match in the Watchtower
by Mable
Summary: One and Two get stuck in the Watchtower together and take the time for some overdo conversing, along with overdo feelings that have been buried by time. 1x2 Oneshot


**Mable: I have so many fics planned for the year… It's unfortunate that I'm in a bit of a rut. -.- So, to get some practice, I decided to try and test myself. A couple of random Stitchpunk couples with a few random words, then try to come with a fic for each one. This one was 1x2 and came with the word 'Match', I wrote it in a short amount of time. I don't own 9, enjoy!**

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_**A Match in the Watchtower**_

One didn't want to get stuck in this situation.

Ever since the Sanctuary was rebuilt in the Library, One had not felt that he had much say in what happened. He agreed to be more lenient and had been able to acquire his role as Leader once again. This didn't matter when the other Stitchpunks did whatever they wanted anyway, but it was something, and yet he should have expected this to occur. Soon after Two had been healed by his apprentice the two of them decided to build a new Watchtower on the roof of the Library.

It went well for the most part. The new Watchtower actually had wooden walls and a sturdy roof, with large windows on the walls that were able to be closed if need be for weather reasons, and they had been working on finding a replacement spyglass. It never bothered One that they spent so much time working until a day like this occurred. A storm was rolling in and Two decided to head into the Watchtower to make sure it was closed tight. Five was too busy trying to juggle the twins and Nine that he couldn't go with him.

Alone Two usually tended to find things to fix or work on so One went along to prod him into coming back immediately. To give him a little more control than he had recently. Unfortunately, they made it to the Watchtower, generator from below still powering the few bulbs inside, and their luck ran out. One watched in horror as the lift got caught once beneath the Watchtower and refused to go back down once again to the Sanctuary. It only grew worse when the bulbs began to flicker.

Two's small generator could only keep certain strands of lights going at once and was currently sending all of its power into the Watchtower. That didn't mean it was reliable and the Leader watched as Two began to close the wooden window covers. He latched them closed against the barrage of wind and mist. It rained down upon the roof heavily and Two turned to One. "I think I have some oil in the back and I can use it on the-." That's when the lights suddenly died with a sizzle. There was a small pause between One spoke, "Fix this _now_."

"I will, I will." Two started before pausing, "I can't." One sputtered, "What do you mean, you can't?!" The Inventor chuckled a bit nervously and began to feel over the workbench that was set up in the Watchtower. "Well, the generator is downstairs, and I cannot tell if it short circuited or if there is a break in the cord or-." One exhaled in annoyance as Two began to continue listing problems before speaking, "Never mind that. Just find the oil and loosen the… Lift." Two seemed amused as he filled in the gap, "The pulley."

It was pitch dark and with the bulbs dead there was not even the dull buzz from them to fill in the silence. The patter of rain was something, but certainly not comforting. One started across the floor to approach the workbench where Two was apparently searching. After fumbling a bit he managed to get where he thought was behind Two, "Have you found it?" Two flinched against the workbench and only then did One realize that he was practically on top of him. "You startled me." He pointed out and One sourly voiced, "I do not know how I could have. I couldn't have gone anywhere else, there is nowhere to go."

"Oh, don't be like that." Two lightly reprimanded as he shook a jar, "Hmm… This is not good. It seems that we are out of oil… Well, that's alright. We'll just wait until the storm dies down and climb down from the outside." One sputtered in alarm, "You- You expect us to climb down the outside of the Library, in the rain, you cannot possibly think that is sane!" Two again just brushed One off and simply responded, "I said, after the storm dies down, and it's more of a trek than an actual climb. There's an opening that lets down into the Library nearby."

Even though he couldn't see One, his silence signaled discontent, and Two offered, "Why don't you just sit down and I'll look for some matches?" One scoffed at the prospect before going to find where the stool was. Two and him bumped into each other more than once trying to find their way around and eventually One grew annoyed, "Where is that forsaken stool? I know you had one in here!" Two playfully spoke in a faux grim tone, "Perhaps it is hiding away, plotting your demise." Then finished with a fake crackle and One was certainly not impressed by the act.

"Amusing, yes, and where would it be plotting?" The Inventor shrugged in the dark as his voice was a bit strained. One assumed that he was reaching for something as he certainly couldn't see him. "I'm not sure. Here we are." He lowered himself and tapped something wooden in his hands, "A single match. We should have restocked, I'm well aware, but this is all we have. I assume that we should save lighting it as long as possible." The Leader released a small groan and moved to the wall before sliding down to sit. Thankfully the ground was clean enough, though he still felt the need to criticize.

"Woodchips all about, dust, can't find a single stool…" One quieted as he heard Two stumble closer, struggling to feel against the wall and touching One's shoulder. His warm hand caused One to shiver and he swore that it was because it contrasted with the somewhat cool Watchtower. Two lowered himself down onto the ground until his leg admitted a loud popping noise. It actually caused One to somewhat flinch, "Creator, was that your leg?!" Two chuckled tiredly, managing to sit down beside One, "They're still adjusting."

"It sounds as though they are breaking." One pointed out and Two continued to rest his hand on the other male's shoulder, squeezing it, "I'll survive. For now, let's talk." The Leader looked in his direction in confusion, "Talk? About what?" Two shrugged a bit, "Oh, I don't know, something interesting. We haven't really had a nice talk since… before the Incident at least! I'm sure we can find something interesting to talk about." As soon as he said that, silence filled the Watchtower, and neither knew what to speak about.

To be fair things were a bit awkward between the two of them. To think that it had once been the two of them, alone together, trying to survive with only each other's company. Now it seemed that they barely interacted with each other and neither knew why. Then One spoke, "You said 'I'll survive', have your legs been troubling you?" Two didn't know whether to be honest or to dismiss it as he did when the others would ask. He decided to attempt the former; after all, One would prefer honesty.

"Not as much as they were, but they have been giving me problems when I wind down for the day." He answered in quiet admittance and One somewhat scoffed again, "I don't remember you ever winding down." This got a small chuckle out of the Inventor, "Ah, One! I missed this! I missed us getting some time to talk. It has just been so busy with rebuilding. Starting everything over; it's both exciting and devastating." The Leader nodded and the shorter squeezed his shoulder again, "And I know you miss the Cathedral. How have you been doing?"

Nobody had really asked One this question and he stared into the darkness. He was relieved that Two couldn't see the warring of emotions across his face before he answered with, "Well enough. As Leader, I must stay strong for the others." He expected this to stop this portion of the conversation, but it didn't, and Two added in, "You always have been strong, One. That does not mean that you are not allowed to mourn. We lost our home." At first One decided not to respond, but eventually he did answer, "You have a good head on your shoulders."

"Thank you. I am quite fond of it." Two added in before sliding the arm around the other's shoulders. One didn't exactly expect this much personal space to be broken, especially in the dark, and could only assume that Two was holding him as a way of seeing with his hands. This somewhat relaxed One to regain a regal posture. Instead he decided to change the subject, "The Library is not nearly as safe as the Cathedral was. However, I will admit that having the books, knowledge so close, is somewhat helpful."

Two nodded in agreement, "Three and Four certainly enjoy it. Perhaps you and I should find a nice book and read together. I am sure we can find something pleasant." This was what spurred One to ask, "Why, pray tell, do you keep suggesting that we do activities together?" There was silence; Two was staring and staying very still, as though he was alarmed or hurt. One suddenly felt the need to correct, "Not that I am against it. I would enjoy to speak to someone at least half as mature as me again, even if it must be you."

It was an actual playful comment on One's part and Two seemed to grasp it, sounding relieved as he spoke, "Well, I just… I just noticed…" There was something strange with his voice. Then, suddenly, he slumped back against the wall, "One, remember when it was just us?" His voice was so distant that One was somewhat alarmed and also noted that Two's arm dropped lifelessly from his shoulders. "We had such aspirations, such hopes, we feared an unknown source and because of that it shielded us from the truth, the horrific truth about the Machine."

He rested the match in his lap and began to massage his hands to warm them, "It was just you and I… While nothing would make me wish that the others were gone, I care for them more than I can say, but I do wish that… That you and I still had that time we used to have." That was when it all rushed back to One in a single blur. The reason things were so awkward now. Two and him had spent so long in close contact, even going as far to sleep huddled together for warmth, and then something strange happened, something started feeling different.

Before they could elaborate on these feelings, the others had come into the picture, and their issues had been cut short. They still occasionally had the talks, but nothing had been as close as then, and One had thought it was only him who had noticed. He looked to Two, unable to see him through the darkness, and then mimicked Two's actions. Feeling across Two's arm, he rested a hand on Two's shoulder in a comforting motion, "The Machine is gone now. We have nothing but time left and how we spend it is our own matter."

The Inventor clearly perked at this and One continued, deciding to allow himself to be more optimistic, "Tomorrow we will start trying harder to recover that lost time. Perhaps start a book, maybe find another chess set; I can leave the throne for some time." Two choked, "You can?" That almost naïve tone caused One to get a brief smile; Two could certainly be endearing when he wanted to be. "I can make time." Then paused, "To be fair, I have made a few mistakes in my time-."

"Like sending me out to die?" One briefly winced, not realizing that Two heard that, and the Inventor explained, "Five asked me if it was true and I was certainly surprised. After all, you sent me out by scolding me for planning to leave. Clever." The Leader turned away, "I was desperate. I needed control on the situation and would have said anything." Two chuckled a bit, "One, you know I do not blame you, not in the slightest. They were just words." He insisted and One exhaled, "Yes… Let us not speak on this anymore."

Then he abruptly tried to change the conversation and now turned it to the match, "Are you positive that there is only a single match?" Two nodded in the dark before speaking, "Yes, apparently Five and I never thoroughly stocked the Watchtower for such an occasion. At least we have this one." One asked further, "Did you bring any candles up here?" Two briefly thought before discouragingly replying, "No. I don't believe that we ever did." They both were clearly unnerved that they were going to be trapped in the dark, in a storm for the rest of the night.

Promptly after lighting shook the Watchtower a few seconds later, Two pulled closer to One, his head resting somewhat against One's shoulder, "It certainly sounds like it can get in to us, doesn't it?" One agreed with a chaste response as he noticed how Two seemed to be sliding closer in. If he didn't know better, he would say that Two was afraid, and that his own body was reacting strangely to Two's touches. After all, Two certainly did remain in a constant state of emitting warmth that seemed to spread into One.

One decided that he had to stop the warmth before it spread and spoke, "Perhaps we need to just light it and use that time to search for anything useful." Two seemed to agree, but didn't exactly move, "I am positive there is some cloth in the chest in the far corner that we can use if we have to stay the night. It may get cold. We might also have to search for something to actually do." He chuckled at this and One shrugged and the Inventor lifted the match, "Alright, well, he we go. Be prepared to hurry because we don't have much time."

Then Two struck the match to light on the floor, holding it firm in his hand as it alit the Watchtower. One suddenly found a new predicament blooming the second that the dull light sent an orange glow over his soft facial features. Suddenly everything they had talked about changed because now he could see Two, he no longer just saw darkness, he actually saw Two, soft and gentle Two who had clearly stated that he missed having alone time with One. The Leader couldn't control himself and spoke, "Two…"

Two looked over to One with a friendly smile, "Yes, One?" That had done it, that had sealed their fate. One reached out and let his hand touch over the fabric of the other's cheek. The warmth had returned along with old feelings that One hadn't felt since the others had appeared and distracted them. A fondness that One couldn't recognize with anyone else. Not even Eight, not even he felt this close, felt this wanted. Without even a hesitation One came forward and took Two's lips with his own.

The Inventor gasped in alarm at the action, but One could feel that he wasn't pulling away, and felt when the other relaxed. This had been long overdue. This should have occurred long ago and both knew it. Now they had all the time in the world, no distractions, and only barely noticed when the match slipped from Two's hand and hit the ground. It slowly faded and died, leaving them in the dark once again, and only then did they allow themselves to fully let go, arms intertwining, two souls together in the dark, and suddenly the grim night seemed much less unfortunate.

_**FIN**_

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**Mable: I know it was a little rushed at the end, but I wanted to have it posted today. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed!**


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